China O’Brien I & II (1990) – Blu-ray Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

There are a number of big names that people will think of when they think of martial arts film stars, figures like Bruce Lee, Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li, and Jackie Chan, but one name that often seems to slip through the cracks, that I’ve seen people forget about quite often, is Cynthia Rothrock.

A world champion martial artist in several different styles, she is as talented and well trained in the field of fighting as any of the aforementioned names, yet her movies never quite seemed to get the recognition they deserved, despite her being a beloved figure within the martial arts film community. Now, however, Eureka Entertainment are giving people a chance to discover a couple of her more memorable movies with this new Blu-ray release of China O’Brien and China O’Brien II.

The movies chart the story of Lori ‘China’ O’Brien (Rothrock), a tough cop in the big city who teaches martial arts in her spare time. When China if forced to shoot an armed gang member during a fight, saving her friend in the process, she’s shaken when she learns that the person she killed was a young man. Quitting the force, she leaves and heads to Beaver Creek, her old sleepy hometown. Arriving in town, she finds her father, the local sheriff, barely keeping things together thanks to an organised criminal element that has worked its way into the background of Beaver Creek, changing the once quiet town into a seedy hotbed of crime. When China’s father is killed by the local crime lord she vows to bring him and his entire organisation down, helped along the way by her childhood crush Matt (Richard Norton), and Dakota (Keith Cooke), a young man looking for revenge for the death of his mother.

China O’Brien is unusual in that it’s a Golden Harvest production made outside of Hong Kong, and feels less like a Hong Kong film and more of an American action movie from the 1980s; something done by design. It’s possible to watch through China O’Brien and be completely unaware of its unique origins, thinking that it’s in fact some low budget US production. However, for those that know the Hong Kong movie sensibilities it’s not hard to see that it’s a Golden Harvest movie, thanks to the care and attention given to the action and the fights that was often lacking in comparison in many US made movies at the time.

The main reason for the westernisation of the film came from Golden Harvest feeling like Rothrock was the key to breaking into the US market, wanting to use the fact that she was an American actor to win over western audiences. They even brought in US director Robert Clouse, who had received acclaim for directing the hit Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon. The result is a film that mixes together both its influences nicely, feeling very American thanks to its setting and cast, yet retaining all of the best elements of Hong Kong action. And that’s where the film, and its sequel, really shine through.

Whilst the story is pretty basic, the moments when the actors get to flex their fighting abilities is where the film goes from moderately enjoyable to thoroughly entertaining. Rothrock and Cooke in particular pull of some amazing moves, and are impressive throughout, elevating many of the scenes that they’re in, with Norton putting in some decent work throughout but ending up somewhat overshadowed by his co-stars. Cooke in particular stands out when you learn that the reason his character was given a broken hand in the movie, complete with weird home-made brace as seen in the below image, was that he was suffering with a broken hand in real life at the time. Despite this, not only does he still manage to perform all of his fight scenes, but as a result he ends up relying on kicks a lot more, resulting in some pretty great fight scenes across both movies.

Interestingly, the sequel was filmed at the same time as the first movie, and China O’Brien II picks up a few years after the first movie, showing China as her hometown’s new sheriff in a Beaver Creek that has never been better. However, when a group of Vietnam soldiers turned drug-runners and criminals arrive in town looking to get revenge on one of their own who sold them out to the authorities, it puts China and her team back into the crosshairs. This second story feels a little less thought out than the first, and the set pieces during the earlier parts of the film have a little less punch than the first movie; however, the final sequence of the film features some thoroughly ridiculous and over-the-top action and moments that means the film ends up being the weaker of the two, but still entertaining and memorable in its own right.

The new two disc set from Eureka features an audio commentary for each of the movies, with Asian film expert Frank Djeng on the sequel, whilst Mike Leeder and Arne Venema tackle the first film. Each commentary does things fairly differently, with Djeng going more into the history and impact of the film, as well as the careers of those involved, whilst Leeder and Venema take a more conversational approach, and – despite some casual ableism from them at one point – their commentary makes for some easy and entertaining listening. Alongside this are select scene commentaries by Cynthia Rothrock, and a new interview with her. There’s also a new interview with Keith Cooke, and another with Richard Norton that make for informative viewing. Author Leo Hunt and filmmaker James Mudge also get an interview each, where they discuss the movies. The new release also features a collector’s booklet that features some behind the scenes writing on the films.

It’s entirely possible that you could have missed many of the films in Rothrock’s career, and if that’ the case you’ve definitely missed out. Luckily, China O’Brien is a fantastic place to start, and this new set makes for a great time.

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Hellhound - Film Review

 

Revenge is a very strong motivator, and has become an easy go to for fiction. Everyone understands a revenge story, even if it's not an emotion they themselves have had. So when Hellhound begins with an ageing hitman being hired for one final job before his retirement to take revenge on someone's behalf it's a quick and easy in. 

Louis Mandylor plays Loreno, a man with violence in his past. Having killed his first person when he was just fourteen, he's no stranger to death. But, seeing an old friend having settled down into the quiet life it's something he wants for himself and decides that he's going to do one last assassination job, then head off into the sunset. He's hired to travel to Thailand, to find a woman and her boyfriend/pimp, and kill them. The two of them tricked an elderly businessman into signing over his expensive home to them before he 'jumped' off a balcony. Now his daughter wants them to pay in kind. 

Thus begins what should be a simple hunt and kill assignment for Loreno, however, when one of his targets manages to get away from him it begins a violent and bloody story that will rack up the bodies as Loreno becomes determined to finish the job.

The story in Hellhound is simple, with the few twists in the tale being neither too surprising, not too original. It follows a more simpler action formula from films from the 80's than it does more modern blockbusters, and for that it's fairly enjoyable. This isn't a film that's going to pull the rug on you part way through; it's an action movie about a hitman and that's very much what you get. The script is fairly simple and to the point, with the villains being quite arch and disgusting, whilst the heroes, killers themselves, discuss the morals of what they do and what god might think of them so that you know even though they murder people for money they feel a little bit bad about it.

Action is important for a film like this, and the violence in the film is fairly well done. The fights are choreographed well enough, and there are a few fancy camera tricks and moves during these moments that show that some degree of effort is being put into things and it's not just content to sit back and play it easy. that being said, there's nothing in the movie that really sticks out as too memorable, and the action scenes, whilst solid, aren't unique enough to really stick out in your memory.

The performances are fine, and quality does vary somewhat. This is a film without many real names attached to it, and whilst some of the cast do have long credits to their names they tend to be in smaller roles. As such, there's no real star draw for Hellhound and you're unlikely going to be coming to it thanks to an actor being in it. The performances we get are done well enough, and there's no real sense of anyone taking it easy or phoning it in; which is something that you can come across in lower budget movies.

Overall, Hellhound is a perfectly fine action B-movie. It's not going to become anyone's favourite film, and you're probably not going to remember it long after watching it; but whilst it's on your screen it'll keep your attention and will be entertaining enough to stop you from turning it off; which is a lot better than a lot of the cheaper movies today.

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Black Mask (1996) – Limited Edition Blu-ray Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Whilst Hollywood wouldn’t see a big boom in comic book movies until the early 2000s, peaking with the current day explosion in the genre, other parts of the world have been quietly adapting their own comics to the big screen for decades, creating movies that have gone on to become cult classics in their own right.

One such movie is the Hong Kong sci-fi action film Black Mask, starring the world renowned Jet Li as the titular superhero fighting against his former comrades in order to protect his new life. And thanks to Eureka Entertainment, not only has it been brought to Blu-ray, but the new Limited Edition set includes multiple versions of the film, and is packed with extras that fans will adore.

The film stars Jet Li as Tsui Chik, a mild mannered librarian who enjoys a quiet life by day, but at night dons a mask and takes to the streets to fight crime in secret. It transpires that Chik was once part of a special group of soldiers, the 701 Squad, who went through specialised experiments to enhance their bodies. Unable to feel pain, possessing enhanced strength and reflexes, the members of the Squad became super-soldiers, capable of completing any mission they were given. However, thanks to being unable to feel pain, the members of the Squad would push themselves too hard, which could lead to their deaths.

The Squad was shelved, and many of the surviving members killed. Chik, however, escaped, and has made a new life for himself. However, his new life is threatened when Chik learns that the survivors of 701 Squad, led by his former commander, have gone rogue. Using their abilities to brutally kill crime lords and drug dealers, they’ve put the city, and Chik’s new friends, at risk. Now Chik must face his past in order to save his future.

Adapted from the comic series of the same name by Pang Chi-ming and Li Chi-tak, the central character takes inspiration from Kato from The Green Hornet, and Li’s look in the movie will instantly bring to mind Bruce Lee in the iconic role. Heavily adapted, the film is quite different from the source material, choosing to try to appeal to what was popular in Hong Kong cinema at the time rather than creating a faithful interpretation. Despite this, the film still manages to work well, and ends up being an entertaining superhero story in its own right. It helps that the film doesn’t take itself too seriously, and isn’t focused on staying in the realms of reality. There’s a rollerblade fight at one point; make of that what you will.

The film feels like a comic book in some of the best ways. The action is bombastic and over-the-top, with huge set pieces, ridiculous effects, and huge explosions all over the place. It embraces the silliness of comics, throwing in laser guns, scenes where huge rainstorms happen just to make for a cool fight environment, and sets that are huge and gothic that don’t make sense in the world it’s set in but it looks cool in the moment so we let it slide. Black Mask is perhaps best described as style over substance, where the look of the film and the action carry it through thanks to a plot that doesn’t quite hold together.

One of the reasons that people have struggled with the plot of Black Mask over the years is that there are multiple versions of the film, released in different countries, with bootleg and pirate versions being shared around that further muddy the waters as to which version is the right one. The multiple versions of Black Mask was one of the few things that I knew about this film going in.

So which version does this new Limited Edition set come with? All three. Included across this two disc set are the Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and US versions of the film, each one giving a slightly different experience, which definitely provides a reason to give all three a go. For the most complete version, however, the new set includes a fourth way to watch: the extended, complete version of the movie that mixed all of the unique pieces together into one ultimate version of Black Mask.

Alongside these four versions of the film the discs are packed with extra features, with an audio commentary for the Hong Kong version with Frank Djeng who goes into the history of superhero films and comic book adaptations in Hong Kong cinema that makes for fascinating listening, whilst the US edition features Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, who have featured on a number of Eureka commentaries before and stick to their established formula. There’s also an archival making of featurette; a new interview with stunt man Mike Lambert, who goes into what it’s like working on a Hong Kong movie as opposed to a US shoot; a new interview with film critic Andrew Heskins, who talks about the film; and a new interview with author Leon Hunt who goes into the career of Jet Li.

For those who are fans of the film and who want to see it in a more complete version, or who want to see the various other presentations, this is the release of the film that you’ve been waiting for. It’s also a great set for those who want to see a different take on the superhero genre, or for fans of Jet Li who might want to check out one of his more memorable projects. Whether you’re new to Black Mask or an old fan, Eureka have provided a great addition to your collection.

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City of the Undead: A Zombicide Black Plague Novel by CL Werner - Book Review

 

'Witch Hunter Helchen mourns her dear friend, one of many heroes The Black Plague has sent to their grave as it consumes the kingdom. Yet she is determined to save what remains of humanity. Helchen and her companions travel to the labyrinthine canals of Zanice to obtain magical resources that would change the course of the zombie plague. Horrendous swaths of the undead mark their journey, and the companions are pursued relentlessly by necromantic forces of evil. When they discover a friend turned foe, Helchen must decide if all zombies are monsters… or if a new darkness is taking shape across the land.'

The Black Plague novels have been one of my favourite reads in the Zombicide line. I've always had a liking for fantasy, and as an avid D&D player I can't help but view a story like this through the lens of what would make for a good game. And that's perhaps one of the things I like most about this series, it doesn't do epic fantasy, its not worried about political dealings, kingdoms at war, or world altering quests. For the most part its a group of people who'd never normally talk to each other, let alone be friends and allies, fighting just to survive. It's a very small kind of story, even if this group of heroes are fighting to save a city.

Having travelled to the island lair of a wizard in the last volume, Isle of the Undead, our heroes have recovered an ancient artefact that can destroy the undead in vast swathes. However, the victory was bittersweet as they lost their friend Alaric von Merts, who gave his life killing the dragon that had been plaguing them across the island. Their mission was a success, though, and it seems not a moment too soon as the group arrive at Korbara, one of the last holdouts against the zombie plague, as a zombie assault is about to overwhelm the defences. Using the artefact to destroy the zombies, the monastery is saved; but the artefacts power is running out. 

With it being their only real defence against the armies of the infected, a solution needs to be found. Helchen and the rest of her team are asked to travel to the city of Zanice, where an archive may hold the information that will allow them to recharge the weapon. Accompanied by some new allies, including a sorcerer, and an untrustworthy ranger, the group heads to the canalled city in hopes of finding answers. However, little do they know that the evil necromancer Gogol is still on their trail, and that he has not only resurrected the dragon Flamefang to his cause, but has also turned their friend Alaric into a new kind of zombie, one who can think, who is aware of who he is, but is doomed to obey his master. Set on making the group suffer, Gogol sets out after them with revenge in mind. 

The third volume in the Black Plague series might be my favourite in the set so far, but at the same time do I have some bones to pick with author CL Werner. By now I've come to really care for the core group of survivors that make up Helchen's team (her having become the de facto leader with the loss of Alaric). The characters that have been around since the first book are some of my favourites, and whilst I like the new characters that become part of the group along their journey it's these book one characters that I love the most. So seeing them suffer as much as they do this book really upsets me; even if it is good storytelling.

A big part of the suffering that they go through this book is thanks to the new condition that Alaric finds himself in. Brought back from the dead, able to think and feel as he once did, but forced to follow the orders of his most hated enemy, it's easy to say that Alaric suffers a lot this time round. However, his mere presence also brings pain to his friends. Gaiseric, a character who began the series with an antagonistic relationship with Alaric, is one of the characters to seems to take his friends reappearance the worst. Their bond had become so strong, their friendship so important to him, that Gaiseric experiences a trauma reaction to Alaric's return. It's incredibly sad at times, and makes for some of the best interpersonal drama in the series to date. 

Zanice also makes for an interesting new location. As the name might suggest, it's based upon Venice, and the confined walkways, the canals that make up most of the streets, and the tightly packed buildings make for some interesting and tense moments as the team must deal with the shuffling undead. There are a number of set-pieces that stand out as some of the more interesting fights and locations in the series yet, and much of the fun of these moments comes down to the city limiting what the heroes can do, or forcing them into a tough situation. 

Whilst the story is incredibly simple when boiled down to its base elements (it's a fetch quest) the journey along the way makes for a truly engaging read. And slight spoilers, the loss of much loved characters also helps to make this a book that you don't want to put down. There were times reading that I was begging the book not to do what it was doing, where I was left feeling sad, where the despair that the characters were feeling was shared by me. It's perhaps the bloodiest book in the series, with the highest body count for the living. If you love this series you're going to love this book, but it's also going to hurt you.

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Weekly Comics Review - 1st May 2024

 

I take a look at a selection of this weeks comic releases. This week I read and review Blood Hunt, Nightwing Annual, Get Fury, X-Men, and more!

Blood Hunt #1

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Pepe Larraz, Colourist: Marte Gracia, 

Letterer: Cory Petit

Vampire events are always a bit of fun within comics, especially when it's non-horror based characters having to deal with them. Whether it's X-Men, or the entire DC universe, there's a level of enjoyment of seeing your favourite costumed heroes fighting bloodsuckers; and this time it's the turn of the Marvel universe as a new global event begins with Blood Hunt issue one. Things kick off when every character with a connection to Darkforce is turned into a gateway to those energies, and streams of shadow burst from them, blocking out the sun. This sets off a global assault from thousands of vampires, who attack anyone they find. The Avengers spring into action, but the attack is so widespread that they're unable to make much difference. When Blade calls them back to their base, however, they fall prey to a new group of super vamps, the Bloodcoven. 

This is a pretty decent start to the event, especially as it just jumps straight in and hits the ground running. There's hints that the questions as to what's happening and why will be answered later, but for now we're having to just deal with the shock and violence of the initial vampire attack. And the issue seems to showcase the brutality of the assault by telling you how long it's been going on, with each character we check in on getting a little clock that tells us when the sun went out. The scale of the fall of the world, and the level of destruction in such a short time is shocking for sure, and hammers home how bad things might get in this event. The Bloodcoven also sell the severity of things, as these fantastically designed new characters are able to make quick work of the Avengers, even taking down a god. Pepe Larraz has done stellar work in their designs and his art across the whole issue is really nice.

My only real gripe with the event is the final page reveal (spoilers ahead), though this was something that I thought the issue definitely telegraphed. The leader of the entire assault, the one commanding the global army of vampires, is Blade. Having just finished reading the last Blade series his sudden shift to global conqueror feels like it's come out of nowhere. Blade fought hard to stop a global conqueror, and now has become one himself. I'm hoping there's a decent explanation for this, as at the moment it feels like perhaps Jed MacKay simply just ignored what's come before for the character. I'm sure later issues will address this, however.  ⭐⭐⭐

Get Fury #1

Writer: Garth Ennis, Penciller: Jacen Burrows, Inker: Guillermo Ortego, 

Colourist: Nolan Woodard, Letterer: Rob Steen

I've not read much of the Punisher Max universe, I think just a single one shot issue (though I very much loved that issue), and as such I was interested to see a little bit more of what it's like. I'd heard that it's incredibly violent and disturbing, which considering Garth Ennis is the writer that doesn't come as much surprise. However, I was still incredibly taken aback by some of the stuff in the first issue of this three part series. The basic plot is that during the Vietnam War, Colonel Nick Fury is captured by the enemy and is going to be taken to a facility where he'll be tortured for information. Considering the level of info that Fury has the US cannot allow this to happen. As there's no way to save him they're instead sending one of their best snipers to kill him before he can give up any info, that sniper being Frank Castle.

Most of this first issue is spent on this set-up, with the first several pages just showing a bit of the day to day life for Frank and his unit in Vietnam. The rest of the issue deals with him getting his mission, and Fury being sold to the Viet Cong. It's this latter part that contains the Max universe's famous ultra violence and gore. Captured alongside two other soldiers, soldiers who aren't worth anything to the VC, the book very quickly shows the brutality of the enemy force by dispatching them in brutal, nightmarish ways that are some of the most uncomfortable pages in a comic I've ever read. 

The books art team really come into their own in this moment too. With nothing much more than people standing around talking to draw for the rest of the issue it's the deaths of these two soldiers that's the artistic stand out of the issue. The moment is depicted in gruesome detail, with the art leaving very little to the imagination. With this only being the first issue and things likely escalating from here I'm actually kind of worried about what we might see going forwards. Definitely not a book for the weakhearted, containing disgusting moments, awful language, and a degree of violence that will test readers, this feels like a distillation of everything I'd been told the Punisher Max books have been. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Superman: House of Brainiac Special #1

Writer: Joshua Williamson, Mark Russell, Artist: Edwin Galmon, 
Steve Pugh, Fico Ossio, Colourist: Edwin Galmon, Jordie Bellaire, 
Rex Lokus, Letterer: Dave Sharpe, Dave Sharpe

House of Brainiac has been an enjoyable read so far, with the Superman event having been slowly teased for several months with the titular villain popping up occasionally in the background. With Superman off world, trying to get his family back from their imprisonment by the monstrous Brainiac, having teamed up with Lobo, the stage is set for exciting developments. Sadly, whilst this issue is great, none of that really happens here, as this ends up being more of a between chapter that fills in some of the background details of the event itself. 

The special consists of three stories, the first of which details the history of Brainiac and the planet Czarnia, and shows how he came to have a city of monstrous, violent Czarnians in his possession. For those that have been crying out that Lobo was supposed to be an outlier, and that his people aren't like him in response to an army of Lobo-like people this issue does clear that up a lot, and explains away who these people are. It's a decent attempt to clear away continuity issues, and it definitely adds to Brainiacs history in interesting ways too. The second story almost feels like it should have been featured in Action Comics when it was doing three stories per issue, as it feels almost completely disconnected from the House of Brainiac story, and with a slight line change or two here and there it could be set any time. The story focuses on Perry White, and his bid to become mayor of Metropolis, going up against a right wing bigot who's leading in the polls and wants to get rid of the city's alien population. It's a decent story, and I had a lot of enjoyment reading it, but it does feel a little out of place here and I wonder why it was included in this special. The third and final story has the big developments, revealing who the Council of Light who's been helping Amanda Waller really is, and setting the stage for a new villain to enter the story.

The art throughout the issue is decent, and whilst each of the stories have their own feel none of the art styles are too drastically different from each other to feel out of place. The middle story, the Perry White one, is the most different from the other two, and only helps to reinforce the out of place nature of it. The first and final story both feature some big moments, and the art teams showcase them in some pretty awesome ways, creating a few pages that are going to stick in readers minds. Overall, this was a decent issue, one that gives readers some needed context and backstory that doesn't have to bog down the main story now, allowing the other issues to go and have fun without having to fit this in there. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

X-Men #34

Writer: Gerry Duggan, Artist: Joshua Cassara, Colourist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.,

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Most of Orchis has fallen, with the AI behind the organisation having turned on the humans and revealed their true hand. With most of the leadership gone the only real threat left to deal with outside of the AI plot is M.O.D.O.K., and it falls to a handful of X-Men to deal with him and his ability to turn human Orchis agents into hulking monsters. Synch, Wolverine (Laura), Firestar, and Ms Marvel take on the monstrosity, and we get some nice character moments thrown in too. With the death of Talon a few issues ago we get time for Synch and Laura to show that things are still cool between them, and a point is made that despite the darkness the X-Men are in, and despite so many of the heroes having to turn to killing their enemies there's still light to be found in characters like Ms Marvel, and that that's worth protecting.

Elsewhere, Kitty breaks into an Orchis facility to save Caliban, who she needs to lead her to Charles Xavier, who has switched sides and is working with the AI to protect mutants. The Charles situation is tricky, and whilst the mutants in the white hot room know that Charles is spinning a number of plates and is doing all this to stop the enemy it seems like the mutants on Earth don't know this. Which means we've got characters like Kitty and Logan ready to go kill Xavier. And this is the breaking point for Kitty. Whilst I cheered the issue after the Hellfire Gala where she unleashed herself upon Orchis and killed their soldiers in brutal fashion it seems all the death and killing has finally become too much for her, and she's ready to walk away from everything one the fight is done.

The art on this issue is suitably bloody and violent in places, and the scene in which M.O.D.O.K. is getting his face blown away, or the moments where Orchis agents are turning into monsters are suitably body horror that it makes the issue feel gross at times and sells the brutality of the fight the mutants have ahead of them. With the next issue being the big 700th, and the Krakoan Era very nearly done it's something of a bittersweet issue. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Invincible Iron Man #18

Writer: Gerry Duggan, Penciller: Creees Lee, Inker: Walden Wong,

Colourist: Bryan Valenza, Letterer: Joe Caramagna

This has been the first Iron Man series I've read as it's been coming out issue by issue, and whilst I'll admit that it's been chiefly due to it being a major tie-in to the X-Men stuff (and I've come ton think of it as an X book) I have been enjoying it for the most part. However, with this issue finally bringing together Tony Stark, Magneto, and Feilong, I was somewhat disappointed that the much hyped up ending to this particular chapter kind of felt like a bit of a let down. Perhaps a lot of that was my own doing, being excited to see Tony and Feilong come to blows, but the issue doesn't really become more than just middle of the road for me.

Having destroyed a load of the Stark Sentinels with his new Sentinel Buster suit, things look dire as the suit as run out of power, and there are still multiple Sentinel factories churning out the death machines. Unable to fix the suit alone, Tony is luckily helped by a tech genius, and the Master of Magnetism. Magneto provides the power, whilst Tony and Feilong get the thing up and running. It's an okay development, and it does help the overall fight as the Sentinel factories finally get brought down, but it's never really more than just okay. Well, except for the moment that Feilong tells Magento 'You stole Mars from me', and Magneto doesn't even know who the man is; which was a laugh out loud moment that I absolutely adored.

Whilst the art on the issue is decent it has a distinctly different feel to the issues that have come before, and I noticed straight away that this wasn't the same art team. Having really enjoyed the art on the previous issues I was somewhat disappointed that the same team wouldn't be rounding out this particular story. With the X arc of the series coming to a close in issue twenty as Tony and Emma deal with their marriage the stage seems set for Iron Man to move on to a new adventure of his own. ⭐⭐⭐

Nightwing 2024 Annual #1

Writer: Travis Moore, Artist: Travis Moore, Colourist: Ivan Plascencia,
Alex Guimarães, Letterer: Travis Moore, Tamara Bonvillain

Having not read the Dick Grayson Spiral agent era, nor his time as Ric Grayson, and having gotten back into the title at the start of Tom Taylor's run my knowledge of that time is basic at best. I know the general beats and who a few of the characters were. I knew that Bea Bennet was Dick's girlfriend whilst he was Ric, and that she owned a bar. Since then it's been revealed that she's the daughter of a pirate king and is now basically the head of a secret pirate gang. This is fin, it's a bit silly, but that's what comics are. This annual, which focuses solely on Bea and her story, goes on to add several more layers and retcons to her character that honestly, kind of made me lose interest more than once.

The annual reveals that Bea began life as Destiny, the daughter of a powerful businesswoman who was assassinated one day whilst out at sea. Surviving a boat explosion, Bea lived on the streets for years before meeting her adoptive father and becoming a pirate, then she gets recruited to be a secret agent, then she learns her mother was also a secret agent and that's why she was killed, then she gets assigned to spy on Ric Grayson, and then.... This book packs in the plot twists and 'oh actually!' reveals that it almost feels like a parody of a spy comic rather than something serious. Everyone has ulterior motives, no one is really who they appear, every event has a secret string being pulled. And all this does is takes Bea from Dick's civilian romance who was also a pirate (bit of a stretch in itself but acceptable) into a super spy with a James Bond style back catalogue of adventures and history. I'd heard some grumblings from fans before reading this that the annual ruins the character for them, and I can see why. I've got barely any history with or attachment to Bea and I thought this was bad, so if readers liked her I can see this making them actively angry.

The only real saving grace for the book is that the art is very nice, and looks good throughout. There are some nice visual moments to be found in the book, with spy action and fights scattered throughout, with some super hero and villain cameos packed in too. But sadly the nice art can't make up for the ridiculous story. As this annual wasn't written by Taylor, who's been doing some great things with the character (the last two issues were top tier) I really hope that this isn't a sign of how Nightwing is going to go once he leaves the book. ⭐⭐

Weapon X-Men #3

Writer: Christos Gage, Artist: Yıldıray Çınar, Colourist: Nolan Woodard,
Letterer: Clayton Cowles

With the fall of Krakoa in full swing it's nice to be able to take a break from the doom and gloom that the 616 universe is going through and have some throwaway fun with some X-Men characters. Specifically five different version of Wolverine in this case. With the issue beginning with the assembled Wolverines waiting around for Phoenix to send them on their next attempt to stop Onslaught we get a chance for an origin story for Jane. Considering that she's the only Wolverine that's new to this series and doesn't have a pre-established backstory this was a great inclusion, and it was nice to see a gender inverted take on the Wolverine Origin story and how that would have played out. 

Following this the team get sent after the villain, and find them ready to talk and make a deal rather than fighting. It seems that Onslaught tried to beat death on this world, and accidentally made things worse and needs the Wolverines to fix it for them. This sets the group out on a mission that will see the five of them go up against a group of immortal villains. This has been an enjoyable series, with stakes that are high for the story yet aren't going to affect the main universe at all. It gives the creative team a chance to do some fun and unexpected things, and tell some unusual stories on vastly different and somewhat familiar worlds. As a fan of the original Exiles series it's very much giving those kinds of vibes, and because of that I can't really hate it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Star Wars: Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Special #1

Writer: Greg Pak, Artist: Will Sliney, Colourist: Guru-eFX,
Letterer: Joe Caramagna

When the first of the Star Wars prequels came out it was very much a divisive movie, with many old fans decrying it as terrible, badly written, full of things they didn't like, and complaining that it was aimed at kids. Complaints that would dog the whole prequel era, and now the sequel era too. But, as time has gone on, and with the addition of more content around that era, the prequels have become so beloved that fans are rushing to cinemas to celebrate the re-release of The Phantom Menace this weekend, and Marvel are printing an issue celebrating the movie.

Rather than re-telling the story of the film, this new issue deepens it, and tells a rather sweet story that happens in the background of scenes we already know. The book opens with Anakin having a dream of being a Jedi, coming to free the slaves on Tatooine. We see him in his life as a young slave, and how even then he was trying to help others; even managing to save a Tusken from being enslaved. After helping Qui-Gon and the others repair their ship he heads off to fulfil his destiny. From here we get a number of new scenes set around the ones we know, such as Anakin and Jar Jar talking after Anakin meets with the Jedi council, Anakin overhearing Obi-Wan telling Qui-Gon he thinks the boy might be dangerous, and the moment in which Anakin learns that Qui-Gon has been killed and Obi-Wan's promise to train him. These are moments that we know happen, we know Anakin learns of Qui-Gon's death, but seeing that scene feels like a wonderful addition to the lore.

The book expands the story we know, it adds these extra layers, and the end of the book returning to Tatooine, where we see the Tusken Anakin saved coming to Shmi to tell her of her sons kindness and heroics is an uplifting, heart-warming moment. Though it's also one shrouded in pain as we know Anakin's fate, we know he never frees the slaves, that his mother is killed, and that he slaughters innocent Tuskens rather than helping them like he does here. Anakin is doomed to a dark fate, but at least here we can celebrate the lightest moment of his life, the days before he steps onto the path that will see him being corrupted by Palpatine.

The art on the book is really good, capturing the likenesses of the characters well, without it having that horrible traced quality that a particular Star Wars and Marvel artist has (having previously drawn a number of Star Wars comics and ruining them). It's great to see new twists on scenes we know, and the new stuff, such as Anakin imagining himself as a Jedi hero, look particularly great too. With May 4th weekend here, and the anniversary year of the films release there's not going to be a better time to give this book a read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Incredible Hulk #12

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Nic Klein, Colourist: Matthew
Wilson, Letterer: Cory Petit

With Charlie having been turned into a strange doll whilst she and Hulk were fighting a fallen angel in New Orleans, the Hulk is stuck with no way of turning his friend back to a living, breathing human. And whilst it's a long walk back to New York to ask Doctor Strange for help there's is somewhere a bit closer that Hulk might be able to find some mystically based assistance, Strange Academy. Arriving at the school and quite literally bursting his way inside, he's eventually subdued by Brother Voodoo, who after some examination of the porcelain doll, and a chat with a mystically chained Bruce Banner, agrees to help save Charlie. The only problem is, to do so Bruce will have to go into a pocket dimension to find a dangerous magic user to perform the spells needed.

Immortal Hulk has been lauded as one of the best runs on the character that there's ever been (quite rightly too), but I also think that folks who aren't reading the Phillip Kennedy Johnson run are doing themselves a disservice as this has been one of the most interesting, varied, and engaging Hulk series that I've ever read. Turning the Hulk into a horror character is a perfect twist on the expected formula, and each new branch on his journey has been better than the last with some unique and horrifying monsters to fight along the way. This issue, however, seems to be taking us in an interesting direction. Voodoo mentions that Hulk contains more than two personalities (which we know), and sends the Hulk we know here and Bruce into the pocket dimension to help Charlie. This allows the two characters to share a space with each other and actually interact. But also, on Earth, there's another Hulk around. It really feels like we've been set up for some great interactions and interesting revelations in the coming issues.

Perhaps one of the best parts of this issue, however, is the return of artist Nic Klein. Klien has really shone on this title, and his art has elevated the great writing into a series that's one of the more memorable and interesting ones on the shelf. Every time the Hulk transforms it's a thing of pure horror, and the way he creates his layouts is never dull. For example, this issue has multiple double page spreads for scenes that normally wouldn't be done that way; but it works so well in his style. This is definitely going to be remembered as one of the best Hulk runs ever made, and those who aren't reading it now are absolutely going to kick themselves later. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Deadpool & Wolverine: WWIII #1

Writer: Joe Kelly, Artist: Adam Kubert, Colourist: Frank Martin,
Letterer: Joe Sabino

With a Deadpool and Wolverine team-up movie on the horizon and Marvel loving their movie synergy it's no surprise that we've got a new team-up comic hitting shelves around the same time. What is most surprising, however, is how at one point this story seems to get very X-Men Origins: Wolverine in its depiction of Deadpool. But don't worry, it's nowhere near that terrible. After receiving a call from a Vancouver cop friend, Wolverine heads to Canada to track down a serial killer. However, it appears that Deadpool has been hired for the same thing, and Logan comes across him and the enhanced killer fighting across the city. Working together (reluctantly on Logan's part), the two of them manage to kill the murderer.

From here the story does move on to include a weird cult, and we follow Logan as he does some globetrotting in order to find them, and the now missing Deadpool. However, the main thrust of the plot, what's going on and why, are kind of hazy still. The main villain of the issue is spouting complete gibberish throughout, and the ending with the cult and their transformation of Deadpool isn't explained yet. The result is an issue that will probably read fine when part of a larger whole, but for now just feels a little bit too lacking to really be all that interesting. That being said, some of the interactions between the two leads are good, and I liked the moments where Deadpool dropped the jokes to be serious, showing a varied and deeper version of the character.

The art on the issue looks decent, and the action is entertaining. However, the villain design feels kind of generic, and the new look that Deadpool gets towards the end of the issue feel like maybe it was a first pass and lacks any real flair of style, resulting in a 'oh that's just Wade in a biker helmet huh?' kind of reaction. The second issue might improve things for the series somewhat, but for now this feels squarely in the middle. ⭐⭐⭐

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Marvel Studios’ The Infinity Saga – Thor: The Art of the Movie by Matthew K. Manning – Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

When the Marvel Cinematic Universe was first making its way onto screens ( almost by surprise thanks to a post credits scene in the first Iron Man movie and the inclusion of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) at the end of The Incredible Hulk) fans of the comics waited eagerly to find out what other characters and properties would become involved in ‘Avengers Initiative’.

The announcement of Captain America being brought into the fledgling universe was almost a foregone conclusion, as whilst Cap wasn’t a founding Avenger in the comics he’s been the iconic leader of the group for so many decades that excluding him would just feel weird. But one of the announced films that was a surprise was Thor. I remember working in a comic book shop at the time, and knew that Thor was one of those weirder characters, with a more convoluted and fantastical origin, and so our group in the shop would have conversations about just how they would adapt the character to the big screen.

And because of this incredibly different style of origin, comics that were closer to fantasy epics than the grounded nature of the rest of the MCU, it quickly became one of my most anticipated entries in this first phase of movies; and subsequently became one of my favourites. I loved the way that it melded the fantastical with the mundane, and managed to make the characters work well in a realistic setting. As such, when Titan Books started releasing these new editions of the Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga art books, Thor was the volume I was most excited to get for the first set of movies. I was eager to see the design process that brought the world of the comics to the cinema screen.

The volume opens with an introduction from Walter Simonson, a man who knows Thor better than most. Having worked on the title for dozens of issues, and produced one of the most popular classic periods for the character, Simonson feels like one of the perfect voices to get involved here, and is able to bring some historical insights to the character and his universe as a great jumping off point in which to dive into the film adaptation. This section also includes some wonderful art from across the characters’ publication history, including work by Jack Kirby, John Romita Jr., and Olivier Coipel that shows how the character has evolved on the comics’ page over the decades.

©2024 MARVEL

The first chapter, ‘Forging A Hero’ dives into Thor himself, and showcases some of the amazing designs that were used in the creation of the character’s costume. Most interestingly here, it seems that the basis for Thor’s look was locked down pretty quickly, and we get a lot of variations of the style that eventually appeared on screen as the designers worked on the smaller details, rather than the larger design ideas.

Having taken some key elements from the comics, the armour designs were more about perfecting it, rather than proposing big, radically different looks every time. The area in which the on screen Thor seemed to have the most variety and design changes were with his hammer, Mjolnir, which we’re told had more than 200 different designs. Whilst we don’t get all 200 here, we do get around 30 or so, some that are very close to what we eventually got on screen, and others that are much more alien and fantastical. It’s fun to imagine seeing some of these designs on the screen, and there are some very creative ideas presented here.

After discussing Thor, the book moves onto the other gods and their world of Asgard. As someone who loved the design work on the movie, this is a great section of the book, as we get some incredible looks at the designs for Odin, seeing some very different armours, a more intricate and heavily armoured Loki, and spend some time with characters such as the Warriors Three, Sif, Heimdall, and the other background citizens of their world.

©2024 MARVEL

It’s great to see the evolution of these designs, especially with the background actors who you never see very clearly on screen. There are some fantastic designs for their clothing here, and you can definitely see a lot of inspiration from non-Norse cultures and aesthetics creeping in to add to the more alien and otherworldly look the production was going for, mashing together several influences. The designs of the world they inhabit are also given a lot of space, with page after page of amazing concept art, sometimes alongside the final sets and props as they appeared in the final movie.

The book doesn’t just limit itself to Asgard, however, as there’s a chapter that deals with Jotunheim, the land of the Ice Giants, that our heroes visit briefly in the movie. Whilst we only see it on screen for a short while, and often in the dark, this chapter is perhaps the best look at this world that you can get. The designs for it are nothing short of stunning, and will make you a little sad that we didn’t get to see more of these concepts on screen for a longer time.

It also gives us a better look at the Ice Giant arms and armour, which we only see on screen in fast paced action scenes. The final chapters also cover the weapons, armours, and artefacts of the Asgardians (great to see in more detail once again), and the human side of the film. The stuff for the Earth designs are probably the weakest part of the book; not because it’s not been given care and attention, just because designs for a small town street and old motor showroom just don’t quite stack up against ice palaces and gods.

For those that love the MCU, and the comics that these films are based on, or even just those with an interest in seeing behind the scenes of movies and how they get made, this book is something that you’re going to want to read. With this being the third in the series that I’ve had a chance to get hands on with, it’s just as beautifully presented as the previous volumes. The images are wonderfully clear and bright on the page, the paper is of great quality, and the book itself feels like a well made, robust piece in your hands. It’s s genuine delight to open up the covers and see what’s inside, whether you’re reading and absorbing every word on the page, or just taking in the art. With plenty more movies in the MCU to go, this is shaping up to be one of the best art book series on the shelves.

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Speed Grapher vol 1 by Tomozo - Manga Review

 

'The first volume in the hit GONZO anime of the same name, in the seedy underbelly of near future Tokyo, the famous Roppongi Club is shadowy hall of secrets. When photojournalist Saiga manages to infiltrate this elite association he discovers Kagura, a young girl whose touch bestows incredible and horrific powers. Now, anyone Saiga captures on film is doomed to die: the click of the shutter as sure as a trigger pull!'

Super powers are a staple of comic fiction, with the biggest comic book companies in the world making super powered heroes their main thing. And manga is often no exception to this, whether it's overt super powers, ki energy, chakra based ninja skills, or abilities bestowed by eating special fruit, super powers are a part of this medium across the world. The thing that often makes these powers different is how people get them, and origin stories are some of the most popular works in comics. Speed Grapher is a story all about people getting unusual powers, and this first volume makes for an interesting new twist on the formula.

Set in a near future Tokyo, the book follows photo journalist Saiga, a man who's willing to go up against organised crime and to put his life on the line to help get his story. When investigating a corrupt politician Saiga discovers a dead body, tortured and mutilated, and an inhuman killer responsible for the crime. Getting a tip about a mysterious club, Saiga manages to sneak his way inside, and discovers a building filled with bizarre sexual fetishes and twisted members. However, when he sees a ritual involving a teenage girl he steps in and gets caught; when the girl touches him, however, it bestows him with powers that allow him to cause destruction whenever he takes photographs, able to kill anyone in his viewfinder. Saiga takes the girl and goes on the run, but the powers behind the club will do whatever it takes to get her back, and end Saiga permanently.

From the very beginning it's clear that Speed Grapher is not not going to be your ordinary kind of super power story. If anything, the powers and the more outlandish elements are more garnish for the main dish, which is a psychosexual thriller. This is a much more mature story, one that features violence, horrible deaths, and lots of sex and fetish. Having gone into the book knowing nothing about it, I was somewhat shocked at the tone and the adult nature of the book. However, I'd since learned that the manga is based upon an anime series that was marketed towards adults.

Whilst the tone of the story was something of a surprise, it actually works very well, and created a reading experience that was different to other manga that I've read. It was darker, had more disturbing elements whilst avoiding going into the realms of outright horror, and it made some parts of the book uncomfortable to read. The main reason that it's uncomfortable at times is the second lead character, Kagura, the teenage girl who grants Saiga his powers. Kagura is only fifteen years old, but is incredibly sexualised throughout the book. 

In the early chapters she's having strange dreams about men in fetish wear, dreams that imply sexual acts were done to her. Once she's in the club she seems to be in a trance like state (something confirmed later in the book), wearing next to nothing. She makes mention of having vague memories of men 'doing things' to her later in the book. So we have a teenage rape victim, a young girl barely more than a child, and she's also being sexualised by wearing lingerie and being shown naked in the shower. It makes for an uncomfortable experience, especially as these scenes are balanced with others where she's very much just a kid, going to shops, playing with plushies. The result is that you feel connected to Kagura in a protective way, wanting Saiga desperately to keep her safe from the people who will return her to her sexual slavery.

The powers in the story are also a bit different and weird, and give Speed Grapher its own flavour. Kagura is able to grant people their deepest hearts desires, things that they themselves might not even be fully aware they want. Saiga, it transpires, wanted to capture a photo of someone in their moment of death, and as a result is able to cause death with his photography. There's another character who is able to turn their body into diamond (kind of a mix between Emma Frost and the T-1000) and becomes a beautiful but deadly killing machine. The fact that most of the people who have gained powers from Kagura are part of this twisted criminal underworld also guarantees that future volumes are going to include some very bizarre and monstrous foes for our lead duo.

Speed Grapher vol 1 is a great, fascinating introduction to this world. I actually read through the book twice before writing this review, something I don't normally do. I was entertained by the book the first time round, and was intrigued by the story it was creating. The second time round I found that I was understanding it more, that once I wasn't surprised by the content I was able to appreciate it more and found it to be even more interesting than I first thought. Because of this, I'm very much excited to read the second volume. 

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